Pakistan's children will continue to lose lives without massive increase in support: UNICEF

Pakistan's children will continue to lose lives without massive increase in support: UNICEF
Death toll and Injuries:
 
The floods and heavy rains induced death toll has reached 1545 as of september 16, which includes 552 children, 315 women and 678 men. 48 people have died in AJK and 22 in GB. The number of injuries is now 12850, of which 4005 are children, 3452 women and 5393 men. 
 
Of the 678 fatalities in Sindh, 290 are children, 262 men and 126 women. In KP of the 306 lives lost 116 are children, 149 men and 41 women. In Balochistan, the death toll of 299 includes 90 children, 73 women and 136 men. Of the 199 fatalities in Punjab, 50 are children, 47 women and 94 men.  
 
3.4 million children need "immediate, lifesaving support", said UNICEF in a recent statement on the state of children affected by the floods catastrophe. Malnourishment and painful skin diseases are among the ailments flood-affected children are battling. Due to malnourishment, mothers are anaemic, ill, and unable to breastfeed babies who are already "very low-weight", says the agency. Children have experienced "shock and distress" due to loss of their loved ones, homes, cherished possessions and have little to do as thousands of schools have been destroyed in the floods. Pakistan's children are "paying for a climate disaster" which is "not of their making", added the agency, and without an increase in "massive support", the country's children will continue to lose their lives. 
 
The UN's WHO said the displaced and affected population are at risk of cholera, malaria, diarrhoea, dengue fever, acute respiratory infections and typhoid.

 

Damage to Houses, Infrastructure and Properties:
 
The total number of damaged houses across the country is 1.92 million with 765162 houses destroyed and 1135829 partially damaged. 
Sindh is the worst hit province with 1.7 million damaged houses. District Larkana of the province has the highest number of damaged houses at 679267. Larkana city has the most houses damaged at 226,980 followed by Kambar ShahdadKot at 218,446. Of the total population of the province affected by the floods at least 7.4 million are displaced and have lost their homes. 
 
The number of damaged houses in KP is 91463, of which 37525 are fully destroyed. 60241 houses are damaged in Punjab, 1211 in GB and 548 in AJK. 
 
In Balochistan the figures for cumulative data and estimated numbers of damaged houses are still different. Per PDMA's estimates 65000 are fully damaged in the province and 125000 are partially damaged.  
 
The number of perished livestock is now 935,795. Nationwide, 12735 km of roads are affected, and 375 bridges damaged. 

The writer is a multimedia journalist and researches human rights abuses. She hosts a show on social justice stories on Naya Daur TV.